The charts above also present different reporting patterns for the three newspapers. The relative absence of education and language articles except for those of curiosity and entertainment value in El Mundo Vasco reveals a disregard for local policy news or local controversy. EGIN has the highest number of local town articles and El Diario Vasco has the most Basque government policy coverage. A closer look at the reporting habits and expression of the three main local newspapers reveals three distinct and consistent world perspectives.
Perhaps the most notorious and widely accepted newspaper affiliation is found in EGIN. Few people will disagree that EGIN is the voice and embodiment of the opinions of the militant left. Their world perspective is shaped by their empathy for the suffering of members of the militant left collective, their sharing of a common history of sacrifice and oppression, their vision of an independent Basque Country and any perceived aggression to the Motherland.
Their empathy and loyalty to the leftist cause is recognized by members of ETA as well as by the Spanish state. On the one hand, members of ETA have singled out EGIN as the only newspaper that receives ETA communiques. On the other hand, EGIN has is also the only newspaper that faces occasional searches and acts of repression from the Spanish state.
Lending credibility to EGINs affiliation to the militant left of Basque nationalism we find visual effects on text stressing importance of militant left news. The news regarding Basque prisoners their capture, release, torture or death will garner is symbolically reflected in the Front Page print that is usually 1.2-1.5" high. No other newspaper has front page titles this large and rarely does EGIN’s Front page coincide with other newspapers. Other outstanding Front Page news may include public opinions made about the definition or future of the Basque Country and Basque environmental issues, which are seen as aggression to the Basque landscape. Moments of Front Page coincidence might be the report of an attack by ETA, where the role of victimization follows traditional lines, or the report of Judicial Action against individuals who represent the corruption and repression of the Spanish State.
But what does EGIN say about the success of language policy or bilingual education? The reports on education are all either regarding Basque identity or local town activities. There are Basque language celebration days, announcements of new courses on Basque language and culture, and news on student groups wanting to defend and promote Basque language education. The effect generated by these articles shows a vibrant community showing support and rallying around language and education. When Basque language education is mentioned in the context of the Basque regional government or Spanish state it usually refers to funds being cut back, courses with local content such as Basque language and culture being threatened, individual politicians or entities seemingly opposed to Basque language education policy, and alarming articles about the decline of Basque language education and usage. The composite view is of threats from upper echelons of government these in turn motivate the vibrant grassroots movement that is out to save the day.
Less apparent to the public but easily recognized by it’s contents is the political affiliation of El Mundo del País Vasco with the political right loyal to Spain. From the titles regarding Education in El Mundo del País Vasco one gets the distinct impression that education in the Basque Country is no different than that elsewhere in Spain. Three out of four articles regarding education are situated in the society section and talk about broad issues such as professors with contracts that violate university norms, female students prove to be better than male counterparts in science, US trend in education is to hire student volunteers in research projects.
The two articles referring to the education in the Basque Country, refer to vocational students finding jobs with local firms and how the courts forced the Basque national police to hire 10 policemen who did not pass their Euskera exam. Only one article mentions language education and it does so reporting on the right of individual to job opportunities without learning Euskera. The relative absence of a debate or mentioning of Basque language education undermines the validity and legal enforcement of language policy. This reporting reaffirms the belief that Basque language policy is discriminatory and empowers non Basque speaking citizens with examples of resistance to follow suit.
If controversy is absent from the pages of El Mundo Vasco, El Diario Vasco’s coverage of education and language portrays a struggle between factions, an open stage where there is always controversy. As the charts suggest, El Diario Vasco holds the lead in articles in the Basque government section on language and education policy debates. The controversy however does not follow the same pattern as Egin where the antagonist is always upper levels of government such as political parties in power, heads of ministries and political appointees. In fact, the only newspaper that seems to report on a regular basis about actual plans and funding for Basque language education and policy is El Diario Vasco. El Diario Vasco also reported on HB’s opposition to peace campaign in schools. State news regarding a revision of History curriculum was covered by 3 different articles: one dedicated to the details and two contrary opinion pieces. El Diario Vasco joins Egin, however in the reports of local school activities such as Basque language and culture celebrations organized by schools and school enrollment campaigns.
In retrospect, Egin will report that a grassroots group has demands that banks provide checking and banking information in Basque, however when progress is made and legislation or services made available in Basque El Diario Vasco will report on it. The distinctive reporting for each newspaper results in three distinctive perspectives on describing what might appear to a foreigner 3 different geographical locations when in fact they all address the same region. Readers of Egin are constantly reminded through the news of aggressive actions against Basque heritage at the same time a myriad of smaller local news projects a lively grassroots movements celebrating and defending their heritage and space. Readers of El Diario Vasco see complicated side of developing norms and legislation and the controversies surrounding them. The general impression is that progress is being made to promote and ensure the future of Basque Heritage but there is no pleasing everyone. El Mundo’s readers are left with the impression that their surroundings are under the Spanish state except that there is occasional anti-Spanish sentiment that surfaces in discrimination and violence.